The present invention pertains to an electrical massage apparatus and method. More particularly, the present invention pertains to an apparatus for and a method of treatment of animals, including humans, domesticated animals, and other animals to promote healing and to lessen the likelihood of injury, by applying a pulsating electrical potential across electrodes positioned on the animal, thereby reducing inflammation and providing a massaging effect.
Good circulation is an important factor in maintenance of good health. Good circulation not only aids maintaining physical soundness and prevention of injury but also aids swift repair of damaged tissue. Circulation includes the flow of both blood and lymph fluids. More than simply increased blood supply to a specific location is required for good circulation. Increased blood supply alone might result merely in unwanted scar tissue. The circulation of the blood is accomplished by the pumping action of the heart. However, the heart cannot cause circulation to be increased in one specific area without a corresponding increase in other areas, and localized increased circulation in an area of injury is desirable to aid healing. Such localized control of circulation can be accomplished by the action of the adjacent muscles and can be induced by electrical impulses. The equally important circulation of lymph fluids is not controlled by an organ such as the heart; however, it, too, can be brought about by the action of the muscles and by electrical impulses.
In animals other than humans, additional problems arise because the animals have relatively fewer blood and lymph vessels particularly in their legs, and because the animals cannot generally be inspired to exercise particular muscles or limbs to aid in circulation in a specific area. In some animals the problem is further aggravated by the normal routine of the animal. A horse, for example, might be confined within a stall for twenty or more hours of every day. During the majority of those twenty hours, the horse remains standing, adding to circulation problems.
Localized muscular exercise can be induced by applying slight electrical potential across selected locations on the animal. U.S. Pat. No. 2,623,525, for example, discloses apparatus for treating injuries in animals by use of faradic currents which cause rhythmatic muscular contractions. U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,462 discloses the use of alternating signals having a frequency in the range of 10 hertz to 10 kilohertz with electrodes placed on the surface of the animal remote from each other. While these and other prior art teach the use of electrical currents to induce healing in animals, generally each prior art device utilizes but a single type of electrical current and involves actual muscular contraction and relaxation of an individual muscle or group of muscles, rather than stimulating cells or tissues themselves.